Andrew j



Patenteui LIME 6, I899.v

A. J. KEARNS.

C A 8 E.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.),

(No Model.)

fuz nulms PITENS ca. moroumo. wwmnmu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW J. KEARNS, OF MILVAUKEE, XVISCONSIN.

I CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,430, dated June 6, 1899.

Application filed January 8, 1899- Serial No. 700.901. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. KEARNS, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cases, of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in cases.

. The primary object of the invention is to provide a case having improved forms of adj ustable partitions whereby the space I between any two of said partitions may be increased or diminished to suit requirements.

A further object had in view is to provide improved means for readily removing the partitions or for inserting additional partitions when required.

lVith the above primary and other incidental objeets in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a case embodying my invention, said case being broken away through its center vertically. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an under view of a portion of the top of the case at one corner thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the partitions of the upper line of partitions, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is an upper view of one of the partitions of the lower line of partitions, Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 6 is a front edge view of a partition, showing a modified form of slide.

In the drawings the numeral 12 indicates the case, which is shown of rectangular shape and comprises top, bottom, side, and back pieces, the front, however, being open. If preferred, the back piece maybe also omitted and the rear portion of the case arranged against a wall or vertical partition, or the open space at the back maybe covered by wire-netting. Arranged horizontally within the case and at desired distances apart vertically are shelves 13, the case-bottom forming the lower shelf of the series. The upper side of each shelf is formed or provided with one or more longitudinal grooves 14., which may be angular in cross-section, as shown in the drawings, or curvilinear in cross-section,

as preferred. The partitions throughout the drawings are indicated by the numeral 15. The lower edge of each of these partitions is provided with a depending lug or lugs 16, fitting loosely the groove or grooves 14. The upper edge of each partition, at the front and rear of said edge,is provided with a slide. The front and rear slides for the upper line of partitions in the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are designated by the numerals 1'7 17, respectively. These slides are fixed to the upper edge of each partition and extend therefrom laterallyin one direction. The inner edge of slide 17 is formed with an undercut rabbet l8 and the inner edge of slide 17 with a similar undercut rabbet 18. These rab bets are adapted, when the partitions are inserted in place,to engage similar rabbets 19 19, forming guideways on the under side of the top of the case and set back a proper distance from the extreme edges of the top. .These rabbets 19 19' may be formed on a separate plate 20, as shown in the drawings, or the top may be of the required thickness to permit said rabbets to be out directly out of saidtop. This plate or thickened portion of the top terminates short of one end of the case, and another strip 21 is secured to or formed on the under side of the top piece, at the end thereof, and extends transversely thereof, thereby leaving a recess 22 between the edge of the plate or thickened portion 20 and the opposed edge of said strip 21. Pivoted to the under side of the top, just in front of the front end of strip 21, is a short strip 23, which is.normally turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby narrowing the width of the recess 22 at the front end of said recess. The upper side of the upper shelf at this end of the case is also formed with a groove 24.

In the practical application of the form shown in the upper portion of the case illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 whenever it becomes necessary to enlarge any particular space all that is required is to slide one of the partitions a greater distance laterally from the adjacent partition, it being understood that the rabbets of the slides fit loosely to the rabbets formed on the under side of the top piece. Whenever it is desired to remove one of the partitions, the end partition at the left-hand end of Fig. 1 is slid along until it disengages from the rabbets of the top piece and passes into the recess 22. Before this is done, however, it is necessary to turn the pivoted strip to the dotted-line position, Fig. 3, as otherwise the partition would abut against said strip and be prevented from disengaging with the rabbets of the top piece. This pivoted strip 23, therefore, when in its full-line position prevents the partition from being removed. When the partition is thus moved to its full extent after the pivoted strip has been turned to its dotted-line position, the lugs 16 enter the transverse groove 24, which intersects the longitudinal grooves 14. The partition can now be readily drawn out. In inserting a partition inplace the pivoted strip 23 is left at the dotted-line position and the partition pushed inwardly, the upper edge fitting the recess 22 and the lugs 16 on the lower edge of the partition passing into the groove 24. When the partition is slid inwardly to its full extent, the lugs are in line with the longitudinal grooves 14, so that the partition can then be slid toward the right and the registering rabbets again brought into engagement.

In the form of construction for the lower line of partitions, Figs. 1 and 2, the under side of the shelf is shown as formed or provided with rabbets forming guideways for the slides, said rabbets being indicated by the numerals 25 25, respectively, and being formed either on strips secured to the under side of the shelf or on integral depending portions from the under side of said shelf. The front rabbet 25 is so disposed as to face toward the front of the case, the same as the upper front rabbet 19. The rear rabbet 25, however, instead of facing toward the rear, as in the case of the upper rear rabbet 19, faces in the same direction as the rabbet 25, or toward the front of the case. The partis tions are also formed or provided at their upper edges and at the front and rear of said edges with laterally-extending slides, (desig nated, respectively, by the numerals 26 26'.) These slides are also formed with rabbets 27 27, which, however, instead of facing toward each other, as in the case of the rabbets 18 18, both face to the rear, so that they may register and engage with the rabbets 25 25 when the partitions. are adjusted to place.

. In this form of construction each partition carries a locking device. For the accommodation of this locking device the upper edge of each partition iscut out, as indicated at 2-8. Pivoted in the cut-out portion of each partition is a bell-crank lever 29, and to one arm of the bell-crank lever is secured a wire catch 30. The bell-crank lever is normally adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 2 and also shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the wire catch being turned down adjacent to the side of the partition to prevent the bell-crank leverfrom accidentally turning on its pivot. In this adjustment of said bell-crank lever one arm thereof bears against or is in close proximity to the rear edge of the strip or projection on which the rabbet 25 is formed, and consequently it is impossible to withdraw any one of the partitions; but yet each partition is free to be adjusted longitudinally of the case. When, however, it is desired to withdraw a partition, the wire catch 30 is turned up, and this permits the bell-crank lever to be swung around to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This affords a sufficient space to allow-the partition to be pulled outwardly the required distance to disengage the rabbets of the slides from the rabbets'of the shelf. This disengagement being effected, all that remains to be done is to cant the partition slightly and withdraw it. In inserting a partition all that is neces= sary is to leave the bell-crank lever at the dotted-line adjustment. Then tilt the partition and slide it inwardly until the lugs on" the lower edge of the partition engage the longitudinal grooves 14. The partition can then be turned up to an upright position and the rabbets made to engage. The bell-crank lever is then swung around to its locking position (shown in Figs. 2 and 5) and the catch 30 turned'downwardly, so as to hold said lever in its locking position.

Besides providing as above for the removal or insertion of a slide and its partition the case may be provided with the recess. 22 and the pivoted strip 23, and the slide and its partition can then be also removed by sliding the partition lengthwise of the case into the recess 22 after first turning the pivoted strip to the dotted-line position, or a slide and its partition may be inserted into the case by pushing the partition into the recess 22 when the pivoted strip is turned to the dotted-line position.

In Fig. 6 is shown the front edge, of a par- ,tition having a slightly-modified form of slide from that shown for a partition of the upper tier of partitions, Figs. 1 and 2. The slide shown in this form, Fig. 6, is designated by the numeral 31, and instead of extending from the partition laterally only in one direction, as in the case of the slide 17 or 17, it

extends laterally in opposite directions. In all other respects it is similar to the slide 17 or 17' or 26 or 26 and is adapted to operate in a similar manner and in conjunction with a similar construction of case.

From the above description it is thought that the operation, construction, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

The invention is particularly adapted, although not necessarily, as a mail-case. In such cases the partitions are ordinarily fixed,

and consequently the pigeonholes or spaces formed by the partitions cannot be Varied in size. In view of the fact that these pigeonholes or spaces are usually designated alphabetically and the addressed letters placed in the particular spaces or pigeonholes having an alphabetical designation similar to the ini- IIO tial letter of the last name of the addressed person or firm it is obvious that some of the pigeonholes are filled much sooner than others, as many names under a particular letter designation occur much more frequently than others. By my improved arrangement, 110wever, whenever the space between any two partitions becomes filled either of said partitions may be readily adjusted, so as to enlarge the spaces and thereby accommodate an augmented number of letters. It is also obvious that the partitions may be readily removed when desired and also additional partitions inserted in place, as hereinbefore fully described.

The case, partitions, slides, and other parts may be made of any desirable material, although metal is preferred, as it is not so liable tobe affected by the temperature, as in case of wood.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination of a case having horizontal elements, one or more of said horizontal elements provided with guideways, and one of said horizontal elements provided with a transverse recess at one end of the guideways, partitions provided with slides, said slides slidingly engaging the guideways, and a pivoted strip, adapted, when turned in one direction, to partly close the transverse recess, in order to prevent the removal of a slide and its partition, and, when turned in the 0pposite direction, to permit of the removal of a slide and its partition.

2. The combination, of a case having horizontal elements, one or more of said horizontal elements provided with guideways, partitions provided with slides, said slides slidingly engaging the guideways, a bell-crank lever pivoted to each partition, and adapted, when turned in one direction, to confine a slide between its edge and the edge of the guideway and thereby prevent the removal of a slide audits partition, and, when turned in the opposite direction, to permit the removal of the slide and its partition, and a catch secured to the bell-crank lever, and adapted, when said lever is in looking position, to be turned down so as to engage against the side of the partition, to prevent the turning of said bell-crank lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW J. KEARNS.

Witnesses:

A. L. MoRsELL, ANNA V. FAUST. 

